Southern Polytechnic State University Top Questions

What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

Paul

I would definitely pass on this one word of wisdom. Study. As a high school student, I was able to make straight A's in all classes save one my freshman year, and one my senior year, but I never had to study or try very hard. The level of difficulty did phase me. When I began my first semester, I was rudly awakened to the reality that college, at least the college I am attending, actually cared about you learning as opposed to simply regurgitating information. As a result of being so unprepared I slacked off the first half of the semester. Once realizing I was doing very poorly in my classes I tried hard to save my grades. I learned new study habbits, and made several B grades.

austin

Keep organized and use ratemyprofessor.com. If you can keep yourself organized and up to date on our homework then college will be easy for you. Also, rate my professor is a must when creating your schedule to make sure you dont get a dud, because trust me, theres a lot of them.

Aaron

My advice to my high school self would be to save my money and get a job before junior year, no matter how disgusting or annoying the task may be. The hardest part about my transition to college was having the finances to secure me in college. Also, if I had applied to more scholarships growing up, I may have had an easier time. So, note to (past) self, put forth all the effort you can to secure your financial future.

Casey

I would tell my high school self to stay focused and to push as hard as possible to acheive the goals set. Make sure that school comes first before anything else such as boys. Being a teenage mom can cause you to lose your way and to slow you down, so focus, focus, focus is all I can say. Attending college is one of the most important milestones in anyones life so if its what you want make sure you go for it. Always be smart when borrowing money such as loans. Only take what you are going to use to fund your education and if you have some left put it on your next semester. My main thing is always stay focus never let anyone or anything throw you off course.

Austin

I would encourage myself to work on my study habits. The meat of your grade in college classes is tests. If you don't perform well on your first test in a math class, it pretty much messes you up for the whole semester. So, as a senior in high school I would work on taking good notes and reading all the chapters in the book. Many times in high school, you could get away with not really studying for a test and still come out fine. However, in college you don't have that luxury. It's essential to take time and really understand the material, or you will not do well come test day. Also, I think I would have told myself to be more outgoing and social. If you're a real quiet and shy person in high school, you're probably going to be the same in college. I wish I would have worked on talking to people and interacting more in high school, so I would feel more comfortable going up and talking to people in college.

Caleb

Changing history has always been a popular idea. Convincing high school me into making changes should be easy if I can get myself to listen to future me. I would tell myself to love more, worry less and make the best of every situation. My goal would be to impart passion about life and encourage myself to never stop using the power of imagination. I would tell myself to remain teachable and to learn from others. Informing myself that college is not a means to an end but it will give back as much as we decide to put in.

Ryan

Ok buddy, first and foremost, take the Computer Science class you are so very afraid of. I know, you found the A+ and Networking stuff boring in high school. Your teacher was not that great and software is different. Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner but the time machine has its limits. Just do it. As it turns out you like it way more than your current major. It turns out you don't really like Chemistry that much. You will have a lot of fun (A LOT) in college, enjoy it, do as much stuff! Drink less, waste of time. Sleep more, you'll hurt yourself if you don't. Just make sure you go to class and encourage those around you to do the same. Finally, and most importantly, I know things seem catastrophic and scary, but (and get used to this phrase, you say it a lot), it's probably fine. Good luck kiddo. Wish I was you.

EL

Complete college studies immediately after high school without taking time off.

Leye

Self, in order to be more prepared for life after high school, I offer you this advice; apply to SPSU before the school year is out, this will save you time and aggravation when you graduate. Make earnest efforts to save money so you will not be without spending money. DO YOUR HOMEWORK, we both know you're intelligent enough to know this, just do it. Keep a list of people you want to stay in contact with, you need to know who your friends are. Apply for as many scholarships as you can while you have the time, waiting is not a good idea and eats your prescious time like a leech. Buy a notebook specifically for passwords and usernames, you will find that every website you use to find scholarships requires you to sign up; sticky notes are a pain, trust me on this one. If you do all of these things you whould be fine, but again I say DO YOUR HOMEWORK, that is all. Nice writing to you self, we'll have to talk to us again sometime.

Candace

If I could go back in time to when I was a high school senior, I would advise myself to start out at a 4-year university. I wasn't 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} sure if I wanted to go to college for four years, so I ended up with a 2-year degree in accounting before I transferred to SPSU. Because of this, it's taking me 5 years to finish college and used up my HOPE so now I have to pay out of pocket, which has been a burden. I've learned a lot, but I really wish I would have gone ahead and started on obtaining a B.A. first. I would also advise myself to not be afraid because college really isn't anything to be afraid of. It's a good learning experience more than just academically, and I am very glad I chose to further my education after completing high school.

James

I would advise myself to take more AP courses in high school. Saving that extra money and putting myself ahead would help immensely in my current situation.

Letisha

I would tell myself in the past that I shouldn't have slacked so much in the past. Good study habits and sleeping habits would be good to work on. Also, procrastination is not something you should have in college. It is a lot of work and you shouldn't try to tackle too much at once. You know yourself best. Don't sign up for classes you know you won't get up for. If you know that you can't wake up early, don't sign up for a class that is at 7 a.m. Always keep competant friends and remember to always socialize. College and careers are about knowing people or at least having them remember your face. If someone important can remember you, then you are doing something well. If you can walk outside for 5 minutes and have at least 10 people say hi to you, then you are doing the right thing. The more people you know, the better off you will be. Stay friendly and courteous to the people around you, especially professors. If you listen to this advice, you will be just fine. ~~~ From, the future you

Lucero

If I could go back in time and talk to my high school senior self, I would tell myself to study. I never studied in high school. I did enough to get by. I would also tell myself to get out of my shell. I was really shy, and I never let anyone help me with anything; that included homework, emotionally, etc. I also would like to tell myself to think about the future and to be focused. I just lived day-by-day, and I never realized how time flies, and it does, but I didn't know it at that time. But mostly, I would tell myself to keep reading. I was an avid reader when I was in junior high, but I let others get to me. I would read a lot, but I stopped when I got to high school. Now, I love reading, and I don't know how I lived without it. It made me appreciate literature a lot more. I was a careless teenager, like most teens, but I know that I could have done a lot more than I did. I didn't try very hard, and now I wish I had.

Andrea

Honestly, I would tell myself to get up off of my butt and go do some work! I am naturally a very intelligent person (and I say that without trying to be conceited), and in high school I was able to get by with A's and B's without doing much work. If I studied just a little bit more, I would have made more A's for sure. When I entered into college I had the same mindset, and got by doing the same thing for the first 2 years until I got into my major classes. Now I'm working extra hard during my senior year to make up for all of the slacking off I did back in high school and during my freshman and sophomore year of college. But then again, I was not sure what career field I wanted to go into either until I got into my junior year of college. I'm happy that I know now, and would tell myself don't feel pressured to decide a major right away, but that also does not mean slack off!

Israel

Push yourself to the limit and finish your senior year strong. Make sure you thoroughly research universities and the offered major programs. Select a major and a few universities based on academic strengths and interests, your financial background and location. Be comfortable in who you are. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people and experience new things. Also be prepred to hit the ground running, and do not become complcent in your freshman year.

Shauna

If I were able to go back and talk to the high school me, I would tell myself to not overwhelm myself with the expectations of others. College is supposed to be a fun learning time. Make time for your social life and not only school. When your only focus becomes school you will drive yourself insane. When I was at GA Tech they did not really help me much so I taught myself everything. That caused me to become very unhappy. Since I have been at SPSU things have changed drastically. I rest more and I socialize more and I am actually enjoying college now. It seems easier to make good grades when you are actually happy. I can mingle with my professors and I love it. It does not feel like I am struggling for my grades. Now I am earning them and the information is actually sticking. Versus before I just retained it long enough to pass my tests..

Daniel

I would go back in time and tell myself that college is nothing to be scared of. When I was a senior in high school, I worried and was scared about going to college because I thought I was going to a fail every class and do horrible but my experiences with college so far have been great and I look forward to finishing up my degree in a few years and keeping my GPA as high as I can. I also would tell my self to be less self concious and that popularity in high school meant nothing.

Ashley

TRY HARDER!MY gosh and brake that bad procrasination habit

Heather

If I could go back in time and give senior Heather advice the advice I'd give would be, to not procrasinate. Don't wait till the last minute to complete or start anything! Also, take time and think about your decisions fully, don't jump into anything, make sure you know all their is to know about the topic your researching and considering. If I could go back I would have started my post high school life earlier then when I did. Senior year flew by and before I knew it college deadlines were approaching and I didn't have the slightest clue as to what college I was going to or what I wanted to major in to decide where to go. Having known what I wanted and where to go early on or even just knowing to go ahead and take my basics at any school would have made a difference!

Steven

Don't ever underestimate any of your classes and begin getting in the habit of not having any money because you parents wont help you out and start studying because that skill will become paramount.

Jamar

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, I would firstly encourage myself to work harder. Work harder in regards to wasting less time watching TV, playing games and hanging with friends. I would also advise myself to socialize more during my time in high school and participate in a lot more in clubs and societies that are available there. Nonetheless the number 1 piece of advice I would give to myself about moving to university is to remain focus, keep a fresh mind at all times and keep my priorities in order. Priorities in the following order God, Family, School and Friends.

Jacob

It is a great desire to want to get away from home and move out from under your parents as a graduating senior of high school. You're ready to move on and get out on your own but the fact is, college is more than what graduating seniors prepare for. There are no study guides or extra credit pep rallies to attend anymore and the course work is far more vigouous than that of your home economics class you slept through in high school. My advice to myself would be to attend a college near your home, if possible, and take your core classes there in order to aclimate to the college experience before diving right into it. This allows you to focus just on school because you are still living at home and not having to fend for yourself just yet. By doing this, you can see what college is really like before you move away and jump right into it without know what your getting yourself into yet. This advice would serve very well to any newly graduate senior so that their chances of succeeding at college can be insured to the utmost degree.

Julie

Julie E. Hill- [email protected] As you graduate high school, remember the people who have helped you along the way. You have achieved a common goal in life, but most likely you needed certain people to inspire you or make sure that you arrived to school on time. You are obligated to remember these people. By showing your gratitude for their help in achieving a high school diploma, you should be an honest and responsible person. My advice to you before you start college is to know the rules and how to play the game of school. I advise you to read a couple of books on study habits and doing well in school. College is a time to value your knowlege and money.

Pinkesh

I would give myself two excellent advice which are have a social life, and study. With social life just join student clubs, intermural sports, student organizations, and interact with students at the students center. I say this becasue social life is a big factor, by gaining friends from clubs and organization espically organization that deals with your field of study. When you join organization s you tend to gain friends that are upperclassman, lowerclassan, and or even in your class group. These friends will help you out throughout the college year either by helping you in homework, information about their class experinance, or even connections with the job industry. Even with a good social life I would reccomand studying your brains out to excel in college.

Edmundo

Take time to better understand your inerests and desires in the future. Knowing youself is the first step that needs to be taken in order to productivly and effeciantly become successful in college and in life. Take time to realize what makes you happy and what college is able to provide the best services for you to achive your goals.

Everett

If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now, I would tell myself what to do to prepare myself for the college life. First, I would tell myself to find a good college to start at and then transfer to the school I want to attend. This way it will increase my chances of going to the school that I want to attend. Next, I would tell myself to get involved in college and join clubs and organizations. This will allow me to get to know more people and make better relationships and connections. Finally, I would tell myself to apply to scholarships and federal funds. This will really help me with the tuition and college fees that each student has to pay. Overall, I would tell myself to have fun and enjoy college.

Marsha

Keep your eyes on the prizes. People and situations may discourage you don't let them because you are worth more than you know. Do whatever you can to make that dream of yours come true. When you have God on your side threre is nothing you can't do.

Cherise

I would give myself this advice: Hey Cherise. Forget everything you thought you knew about college because none of that stuff is going to happen. You are not going to get perfect grades. You are not going to be the most popular student. You are not going to figure your whole life out in Freshman year. But don’t get your brain into a frenzy! Yeah the economy is going to get bad, but you are going to have a plan. And that plan is to develop as much skill and experience as possible before graduation. But here is the thing — you don’t need to change what makes you happy to find a practical career choice. You love art, so keep loving it. Ever heard of technical editing? Technical editing will allow you to combine your artistic skill with technical and organization skills. You can use these skills to edit web content (such as help documents) and printed content (user manuals, annual reports, etc.) to make life for consumers easier. Cherise, you have so much talent. So, never be afraid to use it. Never cover it up. And make your future self proud. I know you will.

samantha

Dear Sam, You did a pretty good job on getting everything ready to start your first year of college. I know you busted your butt, however, there were some things you could have differently. Now, don't worry, it's not anything too major that has made it extremely difficult so far. First, you really should have done some community service like you had planned. Don't let the family stop you from improving your chances of getting more scholarships. Second, you really have to keep organized and

Jessica

If I could go back and give myself advice I would definitely say to focus completely on getting through high school and making it through college. I would tell myself to fill out as many applications for scholarships as possible as well as applications for different colleges. I would also make sure that I kept working my part time as long as possible so that I had money for college as well as other expenses for te college life. Now while I'm in college the only thing I worry about is money so if I could go back in time the main thing I would tell myself is to save every penny I get and to focus on getting every scholarship offered. I think that if I could tell myself those things in high school, I would have the best possibly college life today.

jason

The advice i would give myself is, you know what your doing and you are going to do well at it, take your time and do it right and FOCUS on the the really important things that matter to you.

Phu

I have a lot of advices to give to my high school senior-self. First of all, don't slack in your courses. Just because it's senior year, doesn't mean you start slacking off. You are almost finish with high school; so why stop trying? Second, I would tell myself to get more hours for work, or even get a second job. I did not know that school would cost so much money. Therefore, you need to get money and start saving for college. Lastly, I would tell myself to spend more time with my family and friends. Sometimes, I just lay on my bed and think about them. I can't imagine what I would do just to go back in time and spend more time everyone. They really help me be who I am today because they keep on encouraging me and never stop believing in me. If I am able to go back and give these advice to my high school senior-self, I feel like I would be a lot happier and able to hold my own in college.

Janell

I would tell myself that I should take the opportunites and go to a 4 year college right away. I completely regret not trying the dorm life that now I believe every college student should be able to experience. It would help to make new friends and get the full affect of being in college compared to living at home and commuting. I would also tell myself now that I have found out the hard way, to just get my BSN right away instead of ADN first. I lost out on 3 years of schooling and the money to find out that I would have to basically start all over at a 4 year college. This is because the credits I would have recieved at the technical school wouldn't transfer over to any 4 year to finish my BSN degree. So now instead of transferring somewhere to only have about a year and a half left, I will be an incoming sophomore. I could be graduating college next may when people I graduated high school would be done if I could go back and change my choice I made my senior year of highschool.

Randi

During my high school years, I was on a TC diploma track. I would tell myself to switch to a CP (although, that is all there is now). I would tell myself not to stress so much. That you WILL find your way and what you love to do. Listen to your heart not what other people say. Don't let people STRESS you out. Control the STRESS STRESS STRESS! I would also tell myself to study harder, there is never enough of that. Be more happy, I am way more happy in college compared to high school. Little moments matter so get as many as you can. Your close friends in high school drift apart and new doors open. God always has a plan for you!

Chris

Chris, you need to learn to stop being a procrastinator and become a person that takes the initiative to do your school work early and not the day that it is due. Continue to have a positive outlook on life because it will be useful on those days when you are in over your head with school work and things seem like they can't get any harder, your positive outlook will keep you moving. Your doing great by going to college, but make sure you stay focused on it and not get to distracted with going on to many adventures because you can go on adventures after you graduate. Keep up the good work!

Kelvin

Without question the number one thing I would advise that high school senior is to take their time with everything they do and ensure it is the best representation of they are. Furthermore, the choices made in an instant will impact their future so be absolutely sure it will be beneficial to them. The decisions they make will not only impact them, but anyone associated to them including family and friends. I would advise them to enjoy the long and seemingly boring days with a good book to read and understand the value of hardwork and preparation. Finally, I would advise that student to not underestimate nor overestimate anyone in their life, learn to observe, listen twice as much as they talk, stay humble no matter the amount of success or failure they encounter, and pray daily.

William

The most important thing to know as a college student is that the classes are your most important responsibility. Coming out of high school hearing that you should make sure you attend every class seems like kind of a joke because, in high school you do not have nearly as much freedom. In college you should go to every class and manage your time to make sure you are able to do all of your homework. Since you don't have the same classes every day it will seem like you have a lot of free time but, that is not the case. If you go to every class and do all of your homework you will make descent grades. Going to class is the most important thing for an undergraduate in college because it is very easy to lose track of time and your grades when you don't attend.

Reckesia

Do not let anyone else make your academic decisions for you. You know what you want out of life and your career path and no one knows you better than you. Be your self and you will do well. dont please others.

Dakota

There's some things you should know about college before you start your first classes. Attendance is very important. You no longer have your parents there to wake you up and make you go to class. It's so easy to stay in bed or play video games instead. Avoid this at all costs and drag yourself to class. Never let a grade slip or two. An F is one of the worst things that can happen to your GPA. Your GPA is very important as it is one of the prime determinants of finanical aid, career-related job searching, and other school affliated programs. The biggest difference from highschool to college for us is the homework. We never had that much homework in highschool but college professors aren't the same as your teachers. You have less class time and more work so you have to do a lot work outside of the class that you're used to. So just go to class, keep up with homework, and study subjects you're having trouble with and you'll do just fine.

MOSES

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ASKED TO THINK OF THE ADVICE THAT I WOULD GIVE MY HIGH SCHOL SELF IF I COULD GO BACK INTO THE PAST BUT THERE IS NOT MUCH TO SAY THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED ANYTHING THAT I DID BACK THEN. FOR DREAMERS LIKE ME IT TAKE ONE LITTLE STEP INTO REALITY FOR ME TO SEE WHAT I REALLY AM AND WHAT I WILL BECOME. ALL THE ADVICE IN THE WORLD COULDN'T WORK ON ME SO I GUESS THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD TELL MYSELF THAT I WOULDNT TELL MYSELF FOR THE SAKE OF THE PRESEVATION OF MY HUMILITY IS THAT COLLEGE CHANGES DREAMERS LIKE YOU INTO BRILLIANT DOERS AND THAT AS SOON AS YOU STEP INTO THE DOORS OF SPSU YOU WILL BECOME ENLIGHTENED AND YOU WILL REALIZE WHO YOU WERE MEANT TO BECOME AND ALL OF THE MUNDAINE WORK THAT YOU AHVE BEEN DOING IN HIGHSCHOOL WILL START TO MAKE MORE SENCE AND WILL BE APPLIED TO YOUR FUTURE. THE LAZIENESS THAT DOMINATED YOU IN HIGHSCHOOL WILL VANISH AND BE REPLACED BY YOUR BURNING DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH YOUR GOALS. I DONT KNOW WHY ITS JUST WHAT COLLEGE DOES TO PEOPLE LIKE US.

Philip

Dear High School Senior Philip, Right now you think that you have to attend college for four years and graduate because you're "supposed to." As your future self, I can tell you that this is a recipe for failure. Book learning and theoretical knowledge are incredibly important to have but you need to know to couple it with practical knowledge, too. After your first two years of college, take a break from sitting in a classroom and provide for yourself. Do something with your hands that produces tangible results and feel the pride of hard day's work. This will give you a broader perspective about how fortunate you are to have your opportunities. It will teach you the humility and self-respect you will need to keep from failing those six classes that I failed, all because I was afraid that my best wasn't good enough so I never eally tried hard at anything. After you learn these lessons you will return to school and finish because you will find you are capable of anything you want to do; and you will know what that is, instead of going through the motions because you're "supposed to."

Kevin

Start off strong and build good study habits they will save you the stress and long nights of cramming. dont look at the whole picture just take it a class at a time, and find the people who are willing to help. They will be the people that you can lean on in your time of need.

crystal

I would tell myself to not let anyone tell me that I can't do something. That everyone holds the key to their own success. Stay aay from excuses and only be proactive and accountable.

Clyde

I would tell myself that my dreams will live if I want them to. Believe in yourself, and the only fear is fear its self.

Nicholas

Don't take the easiest classes you can at the beginning because it will only take longer to complete the degree you are trying to work for.

Raechel

Looking back, if I had the ability to go back in time to 2008-2009 when I was a senior in high school I would have most defiantly given myself a long hard talking to. In high school I set my goals high for academic success, but unfortunately some of my "extracurricular activities" got in the way of my goals. However, as a senior who thought she had a plan I could have used some much needed insight to the future with my plans with college. First off, my advice would be to become more aware of scholarships and events in my school. I would also mention to myself to broaden my horizon with alternative options when it came to higher learning. Having the opportunity to possibly speak to myself as a high school senior I would have been able to accomplish a lot more with my time - that’s if I would have listened back then.

Tiane

I would first tell myself, do not take science and math classes at the same time if you can help it. Do not sign up for morning classes or Friday classes if you can help it. Meet all the people you can during freshman orientation and throughout your college career. Be involved with many campus activities because networking will get you a long way. Time management is something to have and take advantage of because the use of time in your day ccan determine your future; so use the agenda as much as possible. Try new things, if you want to work on your drawing skills, take a drawing class. Do not let anything stop you from doing what you want to do and always strive for the largest prize! By allowing yourself to set goals and achieve them objective by objective, you will feel accomplished in even the small things like working out or completing a project on time. Lastly, get to know your professors, they know a lot of people and they often times have great advice which could help you succeed in the area you are studying.

Colin

If I could go back, I would make myself not take advantage of the benefits going to high school gives you, like turning in late work, doing extra credit, and redoing assiments. I would also try harder in math, and studied more so I wouldn't be stressing out trying to understand math now that I'am paying for the class.

Kyle

I would tell myself not to be nervous. College isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be, and even if you get caught up or things get complicated, there are plent of people that want to help you make it through. Don't worry about losing your friends you made in high school, the ones that truly care about you will keep in contact, and there will be people at your new home to fill the places of the ones that don't. Try to get rid of your procrastination problems because that will be the only thing that will make college hard for you. Go to ratemyprofessor.com to find good professors that actually teach, dont trust the orientation leaders. Lastly, don't expect to see alot of girlfriend material girls where your going, go to atlanta to find that.

ERICA

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, knowing what I know now about college I would advise myself to work harder. I would tell myself to focus on my school work a little more and study as hard as I could. I would advise myself that high school is the time to pay attention to my studies and lean on my resources as much as I could. High school is a time to focus on my grades and maintaining my grade point average. I would also advise myself that you only get one shot at high school, in comparision to college. Do the best that I can and realize that time can never be returned. Focus on a good college and try to decide what I want to do with my life and lean towards that by looking at colleges who were able to help me reach my goals.